Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-06-19
The Life and Death OF an
Oregon Pioneer.
The Story Of One Who
Crossed the Plains
in 1893.
His Isausnee vita the IsdIsas- His
IAbsrz IL Connsetisn viii the
Methodist Mission - Swept
Over the Falls Of
the waIlsmst.
Mn. ooExKLiCs ROsEAs

D4FeHtdHe. IN Ihctt hAtfH Us 4SoeA !"
was only with some officially that the
executors Of bis estate foand that be
came from Utica, New York, where bis
heirs we're then living. lie came with
THE MISSIONARY BAND
OF that year, which consisted Of Rev.
u. Walker, A. Is. Saith, o. Eslis and
Mr.. ". II. Gray, with their wives, sod
II IL Supposed that he became inter
essed 10 the snbj4Ct Of missions IN Ore
CON through the efforts 81 Rev. samuel
Parker, who spent TIE winter OF 1884
In ihst region, leoturinR on the sohIsct
10 trying 20 FoRse the churches 10 sup
port the work, and In eDdeayoFinR 10
secure missionaries for this coast.
ME. Rogers joined the missionary
party at Cincinnati, where Afs.
Esils, 10 her i0unsy, thus speaks OF
him; "Met Mr.. Rogers at DR.. fFeeds.
lie Joins as here In cor mission. He
has no wife and goes 90 bic own re-
aponsihllity for his support, though he
has the premise Of some personal
friends that they will help him 10
funds" Why be came On bis own re-
apOnsibility. and not under some so
eiety, does not appear. bot II must have
required some faith and courage % have
started thns. DuTinR the j9nfnsy his
place was usually TO help IN packing
aud driving the mules and cattle. With
abe rest be reached DR.. NhitmaD's sta
ti0n on She Walla Walla. August 70,
1893. At FIRST be was
HrHED ~ TUE MISSION,
And as be was nos andeF appointment,
he vas not assigned 90 aEy station, hui
proving himself an active and useful
IBan, and being highly esteemed, be did
after time receive al appointment
from the Mission Board.
The fiEsi winter he taught the school
at Mr.. Spaldine's station, at tApwai.
The next jams be left the misaion
station 10 accompany the Ntz Peroes on
one OF their huntipR excursions fOI
buffalo. He did this 20 that he might
more perfectly learn their language
and also teach them when they were
beyond the reach Of those at the stations
OF this tour there Ia nothing left on
record. except that be was at Fort Hall
90 the 2ssh Of Jolly.
In January, 1870, bis name hssi ap-
pears In the annals OF the American
Board Of Commissioners for Foreign
Missions a. an assistant missionary and
mechanic and a. being at MF. SpAldinR''
station.
M WAS yEHY ART SCHOLAR
Ia Indian languages best. pFoba
bly,, IL the mission, and obtained good
use of the Nee PoEoes and Cayuse
tongues. OF this he says In letter
written March -, 1870
my acquaintance ia the Nez PeFeI
has cost me many q wakeiui and many
q thouRhtfal hour, but feel a. theuQh
had nov. as IL we're. mastered the NeI
Peroe language, :. O.: / tkiuk most oil
its principles | new understand pretty
well, and am daily becoming more able
10 use II iaently. One great difficulty
remaina-the learning Of the hguFatiVI
uses OF the words, aud tho application
Of common terms 10 abstract subject
have learned something OF these. The
language il becoming natural 10 me; II
is easy for rue 10 think In II. and this 4:
often iuvOluntaTily tho case. The most
need now is practice ana observation. y
After the arst printing press on the
Coast had arrived in 1879. Dr.. With an
was appointed by the mission TO write
BOOK IN THE INDIAN LANauAaK.
HUI be employed Mr.. A. b. Smith and
Mr.. Rogers 20 write ID, AZ being better
qualified for the work than himself, al
though be had been In the country tsoFe
than three years and they only little
over year. When printed Ia 1910, IL
made iuo addition 10 the mears OF
inatrnoting the Indians, and, aays Dr.
whitman, must gupeTsede the smAll
book tirst written, being more olTrsot IN
language and orthogrephy. Il contain
cd fifty two pages. and au edition OF
eight hundred COPIES Vas printed. AZ
ter the press was fairly sat no 10 1870,
Mr.. Rogers was employed 30 take eh arge
of the printing establishment and 60 do
tho printing for the mission at thirty
pounds sterling year and board.
In March he took trip 20 the Will
annette aud did not return until about
July. la August he again Iefl for Van
ooayeF aud Nsqnally aud did not &c
taFn until November. lie remained a
part Of the next winter at Lapwai, then
went 10 kaniiah, the station OF Rev. A.
II. Smith, and later he went Co DIR.
Mhitman's as teaaher and printer.
MessEs. Gray, Smith aud Rogers were
NOT hNilhtlN hAKHftED
With the course OF management and
instruction pursued by air. Spaldin2
According 10 AIR. Gray. Mr.. Smith wa.
the most dissatisfied. aad persuaded
the others 10 leave. aud Mr. Rogers dic
- In 1891. About the tima he lefl ths
United States exploring squadron. an
der Commodore willis, wes la Oh,
Columbia river. and those ia charge
soon discovered that Mf. Rogers
knowledge 81 IRdian languages ans
character woHld make hun very nsefu
rs interpreter, and be was employed b.
them fer this purpose. Ter these ser
vices be received tGoO. Whsn through
With that work be hrsi determined b
20 with a party 90 California, but after
wards changed his mind. and settled Il
the Willamette
Having determined 30 20 do. be aske,
and
OBTAINED ruR HAND
Of Miss SatiEa Leslie, eldest azashts
OF liev. u. issalie, 81 the Methodist Mi
sion, Ia marriage, In September, iSl.
Mr. Leslie left for A visit b the Sant
wlch Islands. With two % his fly
daughters. Mt Rogers and Me- Leslie
entire family accompanied him to "a
mouth Of the Colombia 10 the bFi
Chenamns. Jast before sailing, as 81
lay At Bakers BAy. Mr. Rogers and Mi
Ileslie were married hy Rev. J. r. kiol
mend absnt the lsi OF Sepsamhe
After this be retained 90 the MethOdi,
Missisn near Salem, having charge &
the two remaising chliiren ~ Mr.. Ia
I've, aged respectively and g years
Dr. Whitman greatly desired that n
Rogers should return "a his station
the fall OF iSts. ans take charge Of
daring his absence ia the East, and
made proposals % that eject. Nc. ROSsi
would willingly have done 80 bad B
Known OF % IN time, but Wien be 2,
cetved DIR. Williams request Ne Ia
made soeh engagements thai be did u
feel that be could be released frai
then. Under date Of December :. lSt
be wrote that IL be bad gune he waal
have lefl tao0o worth u Wptk idle-sh
erection Of toar mill lie Also adde
that be did not resarn % the Nsssia,
rs requested, because, first. be vas an
certain whether tie RoAFd would COZ
tinre operations very ioEg, aud, $500.
because the Indians were erowing 3
much worse that be feared all woGi
have O. leave. lie wished % take "a
printing press 30 the willAmsgte. Dc &C
printing fer the Mission, also for "a
"a. -.